Ukrainian President dismisses Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak from military service

Sunday, October 14, 2018 10:00:35 AM

On October 13, in his speech during the ceremonial events in honor of Ukrainian servicemen, President Petro Poroshenko dismissed Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak from military service, UNN wrote.

“General of the Ukrainian Army Stepan Poltorak filed a corresponding report about dismissal from military service and I approved it. Nevertheless, appreciating Stepan Poltorak’s significant contribution to the revival of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, I offered him to continue leading the defense ministry as a civil minister,” the President said.

Poroshenko said that the post of the Defense Minister must be filled by a civilian from January 1.

In addition, the president awarded Poltorak with the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky. Stepan Poltorak has been Minister of Defense since October 2014. Prior to that, he held the post of the Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine. In 2015, Poroshenko awarded Poltorak with the rank of an army general.